The Yosemite fisher was recently spotted in the Park! 

The fisher is a small carnivorous mammal closely related the American marten. It is a candidate species for federal protection status. Fishers are tree-dwelling mammals that have long, slender bodies, long bushy tails, and short muscular legs with large feet and retractable claws, making them climbing specialists. Fishers are very agile and have specialized hind legs with feet that turn nearly backwards, giving them the ability to climb down trees head first.

This fall, for the first time in almost 100 years, a fisher was been spotted north of the Merced River!  The fisher inhabits the area between Crane Flat and the Big Oak Flat Park Entrance station.  The fisher could likely be crossing the Big Oak Flat Road regularly.  This may be one of the only individuals in the northern region of the Park.

The fisher is rare in Yosemite National Park.  About 3 to 3 1/2 feet long, the fisher is a blackish brown color with a grizzly effect on the back of the head, shoulders, and along the sides.  Often, there is an irregular white spot on the chest.

The fisher (Martes pennanti) is a small forest-dwelling carnivorous mammal whose range extends from the red fir belt to the high country of Yosemite.  A female fisher gives birth to a litter of three or four kits in the spring. She nurses and cares for her kits until late summer, when they set out on their own.

The Yosemite fisher was recently spotted in the Park!  What a wonderful sight to behold!

Scenic Wonders invites you to visit beautiful Yosemite. Stay in one of our family homes or condominiums.  Call our reservation desk at 1-888-YOSEMITE.